Sunday, November 24, 2013

Just Write books is not accepting new manuscripts for the first six months of 2014. However, once that time is up below some guidelines to use when preparing your book for publication. People have asked how to prepare a manuscript for submission
to Just Write Books. Always before, I have said, "Print in a reasonable
font size with 1-inch margins." I felt that would give people enough
information. I was wrong. So I developed the following guidelines for
manuscript (ms) submissions.Just Write Books does not accept unsolicited manuscripts. We
care about the amount of trees used in the world for paper. Call, write or email
to tell us about your book. Publisher Nancy E. Randolph will want to speak with the
author to learn about the book, the author and why this book should be
published. Only a few manuscripts evolve into a book with Just Write Books.Just Write Books does not return manuscripts. We carefully shred them.

Don't send us your only copy. If your manuscript is rejected
for publication; we carefully shred it. The cost of return (of packaging and
shipping/mailing the manuscript) far outweigh the cost of reprinting.

No reading fee but a donation. Beginning in 2014, Just Write Books asks that you donate to
the Androscoggin Riverwalk or the Save Our Swinging Bridge.Org when sending us
a manuscript to review. Upon being invited to submit your ms, please send a
copy of your check (to one of the two nonprofits above) with your manuscript.
$25 for 1-99 page manuscript. $50 for a manuscript of 100 pages or more.

Before printing your manuscript, complete a thorough edit.
It will survive another round or two of edits at Just Write Books. Please read
it aloud and spell check. Both of these things will help prevent your
manuscript from going through the shredder.

Your manuscript must be a computer-generated printout. No
handwritten
submissions. Use clean, white 8 ½ by 11 inch unlined paper of average
thickness. No designer paper. Use an easy to read font. Most computers
have Times New
Roman. Please do not use different typefaces or sizes. Don't try to make
it
look "good." You'll only irritate the reader. Our preferred font size
is 11 or 12 points. Left justify the print. Do not right justify, center
or fill
the line to force a right flush. Do not format or insert photos. Just
the text
please. Use a one-inch margin: top, bottom, right and left. Indent each
paragraph by .3 or .5 inch. Do not leave a blank line between
paragraphs.

Double space the entire document. Created a running head with the title of the book and your
name. Place page numbers centered at the bottom of each page.

Do not 3-hole punch, staple or otherwise bind your
manuscript. We might take only 20 pages to read away from our desk.

Provide a list of photographs or illustrations and include a couple of printed samples of the same.

Check every page for clear printing and that every page
printed.

If you have followed the above suggestions; our reader will
be able to read your file, make comments, edits and suggestions without
straining her eyes or developing a migraine headache. In addition, when it is
time to make your manuscript into a book, it will be in the right format for
flowing into desktop publishing software.Don't include a cover letter. (By this time, we've already
told you to mail a copy.) This will allow you to mail the manuscript via Media
Mail through the US Postal Service. (If you want to send a cover letter; mail
it separately in a first class envelope or email anything you want to tell us.Double check everything before mailing, including our mailing
address.Just Write Books, 14 Munroe Lane, Topsham, ME 04086.Seal and drop in the mailbox.If you haven't heard from us in 2 months; send a postcard or
simple letter. That's polite and non-irritating. I hope this helps clarify things for the authors.

Nancy E. Randolph operates Just Write Books, a
publishing business with the tag line: Maine books by Maine authors
telling Maine stories. Randolph quickly developed a reputation as a
publisher of quality Maine books. An active community member along with
two others she founded and serves as a member of the board of Save Our
Swinging Bridge.Org to ensure the maintenance of the historic Roebling
designed and built bridge connecting Topsham and Brunswick. She co-chairs with Cathy Lamb the Androscoggin Brunswick-Topsham Riverwalk project--building a 2K walking/biking intown loop. To contact her directly: jstwrite@jstwrite.com

Sunday, November 17, 2013

If you have
started a book collection, odds are you want your books to stay in good shape
for many years of reading and rereading. We’ve collected some of the top tips
for caring for your private library to help maintain their covers and pages.

1. Pick the right spot. Book materials are
fairly delicate materials so keep them away from sources of moisture (exterior
walls, basements) and smoke (kitchens, fireplaces).

2. Store them upright. Book will support
each other on a shelf when stored upright with bookends to prop up the ends.
Don’t lay on the spine or fore-edges since that can separate the book.

3. Avoid sunlight. Sunlight, while
wonderful to read by, can damage covers and fade text if a book is too long
exposed to it.

4. Use proper storage. If you can invest
in them, get bookshelves with glass doors. It will help minimize damaging
elements getting to the volumes. Bookshelves should also be sized properly so
books can be stored upright.

5. Dust. Whether you use a microfiber
cloth, feather duster or handheld vacuum, removing the dust from the top and
spines of your books on a regular basis will help keep them in good shape.

6. Use bookmarks. It’s always good to have
a few bookmarks on hand when you need to put a book down. Lying them open to
the page or otherwise marking the page can lead to long term damage of the
book.

7. Books and drinks don’t mix. So your
favorite thing to do may be to sit and sip a cup of cocoa or another beverage
of choice. However, this could lead to spillage which can ruin a good book.

8. Repair with care. If a page tears or
some other type of damage occurs, do some research on the best repair
techniques. Don’t use tapes and glues you find at a office supply store since
they could further damage the volume unless they are clearly marked
"museum quality."

9. Protect your books from insects.
Silverfish, cockroaches and other insects will eat the paper portions of books
and you will see indications of insect damage on the pages. If you find any of
these insects in your home; call a professional exterminator.

10. Handle with care. When removing books
from shelves, don’t push down on the spine. Instead push the two adjacent books
in so you can firmly grab the book from both sides.

By following
these common sense steps you can maintain your library longer and enjoy your
favorite books for decades.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

We all want to sell more books. How do your entice a
person to buy your book? Sometimes it is a matter to convince a bookstore or
specialty shop to carry your book.It's great to be able to say, "This book will
help people (fill in the blank).”So what are some of the human needs that might be
filled by your book? I'll talk about ten human needs and tell you about a book
(published by Just Write Books or not) that fills that need and how it does
just that.

1. Your book might
help people feel better. A book that helps people deal with a problem in
their life will help them feel better. I'll use the book Food Fix: Ancient Nourishment for Modern Hungers as an example.
Susan Lebel Young has put together activities at the end of each chapter that
help people learn to control overeating and eating junk food. When the person
is successful in achieving healthy habits the person feels better about him or
herself.2. Even the best of us want to behave better. By showing people how to treat people better, Dale
Carnegie's Win Friends and Influence
People have sold millions in English and millions in languages around the
world. His first three Fundamental
Techniques in Handling People

1.Don't criticize, condemn or complain.,

2.Give honest and sincere appreciation.

3.Arouse in the other person an eager want.

3. Find more closeness and more love.

4. Some books give
readers the path to clearer thinking for better decisions in a particular
setting or area of life or work. Uncomplicating
Management by Rick Dacri fills that need. Dacri, according to one reader,
"knows
how to break down the complexities of managing people. This motivating book
offers straightforward advice that any manager in any sized organization can
use on a daily basis."5. Be happier.
Sometimes a reading a novel spins a tale and engulfs you in the story and
by doing so takes you away from your cares for a while. Islands of Time by Barbara Kent Lawrence does this. 6. Security
and inner peace. Robert M. Chute's Wildness
within Walking Distancegives
the reader a chance to experience our natural environment through poetry and to
reconnect us with nature. Studies have shown that reconnecting with nature
lowers blood pressure and increased healthy sleep.

7. Achieve health
and longevity. Wild Plants of Maine:
A Useful Guideby Tom Seymour
helps people identify edible and useful plants in Maine (it works for most of
New England). Eating wild plants without pesticides and other toxins is just
one way to live healthier.8. Is there anyone who doesn't want to make more money? I think all of us
have purchased books that claim to help us increase income or save money in our
daily life or our business. We want to make more money and make that money go
farther. Recently, I purchased a book about social media to increase the sales
of books. 9. Choose right
livelihood. Doug Hall (not published by Just Write Books)has written several books Jump Start Your Brain, Meaningful not
Mindless Marketing, Making the Courage Connection and many more. Doug Hall
helps people work smarter not harder. I've read several of his books because I
feel that he clearly shows me how to organize my thoughts to create a better
business. 10. People
want to strive to achieve a doable challenge. You book my provide
information about a goal that you have achieve. This might motivate another
person to set a like goal for themselves. I'm working on a book that would be a
senior's guide to the 100-mile Wilderness. In August, to celebrate my sixtieth
birthday, I completed that part of the Appalachian Trail. I've had so many
people say that they always wanted to do that but felt that it was just too
difficult. Provide step-by-step instructions or broad-brush guidance is a great
way to help people. My book will help people set a lifetime goal and achieve
it.

Nancy E. Randolph operates Just Write Books, a
publishing business with the tag line: Maine books by Maine authors
telling Maine stories. Randolph quickly developed a reputation as a
publisher of quality Maine books. An active community member along with
two others she founded and serves as a member of the board of Save Our
Swinging Bridge.Org to ensure the maintenance of the historic Roebling
designed and built bridge connecting Topsham and Brunswick. She co-chairs with Cathy Lamb the Androscoggin Brunswick-Topsham Riverwalk project--building a 2K walking/biking intown loop. To contact her directly: jstwrite@jstwrite.com

Sunday, November 3, 2013

What? You don’t
have an Author Page on Amazon? Here are some of the key elements of an author
page and why you should have one.

1. Complete your biography. Your biography
should include something about how you started writing your first book and a
brief history of any other publications. Also include a synopsis of your
personal life. People are more likely to select books if they can relate to the
author.

2. Include your entire bibliography. Once
you’ve written more than one book, make sure you include every publication in
your list and each edition. One reader may select additional books once they’ve
read one. Also, different people will read different formats, so make sure hard
cover, soft cover and ebook versions are all represented.

3. Upload photos. Again, this goes with
the personalization of your page. Since many people are very visual, having
your photo helps them relate to you and your story.

4. Upload videos. Make sure to read Amazon’s
rules regarding videos and include a few for people to get an idea about your
books.

5. Connect to your blog. If you write a
blog regularly, make sure to connect your page to it. It’s another way to

6. Include professional reviews. When you
receive reviews of your books, make sure to include them on the pages for your
book.

7. Moderate Book Extras. Shelfari is a
public forum for readers to write additional information about the books they
read. If certain fields have been filled out, this tab will be available on
Kindle editions and make quotes, plot summaries and character listings among
them.

8. Announce events. You can list in person
and online events on your author pages. Just another way to make sure your
readers know how to connect with you.

9. Connect with Twitter. The more ways you
can connect with your readers, the better. If you have a twitter account, make
sure to include it here.

10. Create an Author Page URL. You can
create a unique URL for your page. It is an easy way to link to your page from other
locations.

Nancy E. Randolph operates Just Write Books, a
publishing business with the tag line: Maine books by Maine authors
telling Maine stories. Randolph quickly developed a reputation as a
publisher of quality Maine books. An active community member along with
two others she founded and serves as a member of the board of Save Our
Swinging Bridge.Org to ensure the maintenance of the historic Roebling
designed and built bridge connecting Topsham and Brunswick. She co-chairs with Cathy Lamb the Androscoggin Brunswick-Topsham Riverwalk project--building a 2K walking/biking intown loop. To contact her directly: jstwrite@jstwrite.com

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Welcome to the blog of Just Write Books. Here you will find information about the writing and publishing business, tips and tricks to preparing your manuscript for publication, suggestions for marketing and other interesting observations about life in general.Enjoy your visit. Please comment and add to the conversation!